A federal judge has recently declared that the government’s forceful dealings with Nevada rancher Clive Bundy, is a conspiracy. The government has taken similar actions in the past, according to U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Jones.

Judge Jones recently spoke out about visible patterns in the government actions, and claimed that he already knew the next moves of the BLM. He cited the case of United States v. Estate of Hage, which also involved a Nevada rancher that chose to defy the government.

In the case of Bundy, the BLM claims that they are seeking to prevent land to be destroyed from over grazing public land. Their solution is to make ranchers responsible for grazing fees. Bundy will not accept the claim that he owes the government money, as his family has owned and used the land since before the BLM even existed. However, in 1993, the BLM decided to start charging those who wished to user public land in order to cut back on “land abusers.” At the time, Nevada rancher E. Wayne Hage signed a grazing permit renewal, but steadfastly refused to forfeit his family’s long-standing rights to use the land to raise cattle.

The BLM then rejected Hage’s permit in retaliation. Hage stated his intentions of taking the government to court, after which he continued to be bullied from the government. The government even asked other ranchers to apply for grazing rights, including Gary Snow, and then granted them the privilege of land usages.

After all the permits weren’t filled, the government applied for land usage rights themselves, under the Nevada State Engineer. The state owned exactly zero cattle at the time.

Judge Jones expressed his frustration with the government, who is repeating history with their illegal actions.

"By filing for a public water reserve, the Government in this case sought specifically to transfer to others water rights belonging to the Hages,” Judge Jones wrote, “For this reason, the Court has held certain government officials in content and referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In summary, government officials, and perhaps also Mr. Snow, entered into a literal, intentional conspiracy to deprive the Hages not only of their permits but also of their vested water rights. This behavior shocks the conscience of the Court and provides a sufficient basis for a finding of irreparable harm to support the injunction described at the end of this Order.”

Judge Jones is not alone in thinking the government is abusing their authority.

William F. Jasper, senior editor of The New American, asks, “Has Attorney General Eric Holder prosecuted any federal officials for criminal activity and violation of the Hage family’s constitutionally protected rights? No. Has Sen. Harry Reid denounced this lawlessness and criminal activity by government officials and called upon President Obama and Attorney General Holder to protect the citizens of his state from the depredations of federal officials under their command? No.”

Jasper strongly concludes, “With attitudes such as those expressed above by Sen. Harry Reid, it is almost a certainty that the recently defused Bundy Ranch standoff will be replayed again—and in the not-too-distant future. And the outcome could be much less amicable for all concerned.”